Help needed - how to attach mane extensions!

[Laafet]

I posted this in Competition lounge but no one had any suggestions. T bag has a big Welshie show coming up and despite being a partbred the schedule says that no horses or ponies to be plaited apart from in driving classes, I phoned and checked and it was confirmed no plaiting. My problem is that T got hot in his combo rug over winter and half his mane fell out. It is now about 2 inches long but the show is in 4 weeks and I don't think that it will be long enough by then. I have collected some donor hair from the horses at work while I was pulling manes the other day. However I have no idea how to attach it to T without it looking obvious! I'm no good with human hair extensions and the concept of a 'weave'. Any suggestions

 

[Laafet]

IS there no one out there with any ideas. Will be very desperate in a months time!

 

[hannah_karina]

I dont have any suggestions im sorry!!! no idea how to do that!

 

[Jane_Lou]

I once wove tail extenstions after my friends young connie has his tail chewed off by his fieldmates. In that case I was able to plait it in in small pieces close to the dock but at least it was hidden under the hair of the dock. (the flies at the show were alful and much swishing ensued - every swish sent a few more of my beautifully plaited strands flying!LOL) The wholejob took 6 hours to put in - but that was an entire tail! I have also plaited manes using donor hair but again, I was able to put that in under the existing hair. This is not really that helpful I know .... but... First, check the trimming and turnout rules, many native societies say no hair extensions - worth checking - seccondly, unless you can plait the hair in small amounts (no more than say 5-8 donor hairs to 1 natural one) (VO5 extreme hold gel spray makes brilliant glue!) into the existing hair from the underside and then get it to lay flat I would be inlcined to just go with a short mane on this occassion. I am really suprised you can't be plaited for a part bred class, but in four weeks the mane will have grown quite a bit so maybe pull the rest a bit shorter to blend the short bit in more? My boy had a 3 inch gap in his mane a few weeks ago from his wug but today, when plaited, he had even sized plaits all the way down! Good Luck

Let me know if you want to know how to plait in the extensions underneath by the way?

 

[the watcher]

If you are serious about doing extensions (and I suspect the judge would take a dim view - but heyho)
have a look on ebay at the hair extensions bit - some of the sellers show in detail how to attach the hair - you need the hot clamp, some spare 'fingertip' glue bonds and all the donor hair you can get your hands on, and even some cheap human hair to thicken it out.

Ideally you need to get all the hairs in the same direction (ie the cuticle facing the same way), at the top cut the hair off in a straight line, then bond it to an underneath section of the mane using your glue nailtip bond and hot clamp.

I see this becoming a new fashion, with highlights and bright coloured sections for extra interest

 

[Minnies_Mum]

Sorry, no ideas how you can attach it if you're not going to plait. My sister steals hair from our scruffy little pony's copious mane and plaits it into her mare's almost non-existent one. Do you have a hairdresser friend with any ideas?

 

[Laafet]

So I should scrap my entry because my horse only has half a mane? It is such a shame. If we were allowed to plait I would do what a lot of show producers do with horses that have the same problem and plait the donor hair into the required ball and attach to mane. I see no difference doing that to trying to perform hair extensions as this is a partbred class not a purebred. I would never do anything that was against the rules, which is why I was often placed down the line in Novice SHP on Murphy being the only one in a snaffle bridle with the others in doubles even though the rules stated snaffles, but my name wasn't a producers and I never used make up either.

 

[Laafet]

Will PM you, think I'll need to do a few practice runs!

 

[nelliefinellie]

Sorry I don't know anything about showing, but can't you just take him with a short mane? Surely they should be assessing his confromation not his hair length?!

 

[Jane_Lou]

No problem - it does take practice but is quite possible to achieve quite a natural look with patience!

 

[Laafet]

You would think so wouldn't you? I've never done WCPS showing before but if its as cut throat as BSPS then it will matter what his mane looks like, confo wise he is fine having been placed in the first three each time out last year even against purebreds unaffilliated.